Guinness Chocolate Cake

|
By
|
14 comments

Guinness Chocolate Cake

This cake. For me it rivals Beatty’s Chocolate Cake, which really says something. It’s ridiculously moist and chocolaty, with just a slight  hint of malty flavor from the Guinness. Comes together quickly and easily with just a few ingredients – and there is no layering and frosting to contend with. You just pour on a simple ganache topping and let it do it’s thing…hardened enough to stay stable when sliced, but pliable enough that it was soft and luxurious to take a bite of.

A perfect sweet treat for St. Patrick’s Day, but really – I don’t see myself limiting a cake of this magnitude to one holiday in March. It’s just that good, and that easy. I’ve already eaten one piece for breakfast, and am resisting every urge to eat another.

If you didn’t want to use beer, you could certainly use coffee (which the original recipe calls for). But if you guys know me, I’m always on the lookout for a recipe that incorporates beer in some fashion. And this one is definitely a keeper. One I’ll be making again, and again, and again.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone!

Guinness Chocolate Cake

1 egg, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
6 ounces plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Guinness Stout
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Beer-Candied Bacon or sprinkles, for topping (optional)

For the ganache:
9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (about 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9-by-9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine egg, sugar, yogurt, oil, vanilla, and whisk until smooth and combined. Add beer and cocoa powder and whisk vigorously until batter is smooth and free from lumps. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and whisk vigorously until batter has just combined, about 1 minute.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until top has set and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan completely, at least 30 minutes, before adding ganache to the cake.

For the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan and bring to barely a boil on the stovetop. Pour the hot cream onto the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk vigorously until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth and velvety. Add vanilla and stir to combine.

Pour onto the cake,  spreading the ganache with a spatula or offset knife. Allow to set up for at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving the cake; or speed this process up by placing pan in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.

Source: adapted from Averie Cooks

Homemade Shamrock Shakes

|
By
|
4 comments

Homemade Shamrock Shakes

Mint flavored ice cream is my favorite ice cream, hands down. So when McDonald’s comes out with their Shamrock Shakes every spring, I can’t help but venture through the drive-thru to get one…even though under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be caught dead there. Unless I’m pregnant, and having a craving for a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit…but let’s not go there.

But I knew they had to be better made at home, and I almost always have all the ingredients necessary to throw them together. Vanilla ice cream, peppermint extract, a few drops of green food coloring, and a little whipped cream to top it all off. Just as I suspected it was even better made at home, and even easier than going through the drive-thru.

Not to mention the fact that I can make and enjoy them all year long! I hope everyone has a great weekend, we’re hoping for some warmer weather like we had a taste of this week. We’re trying to get our dining room finished up and repainted – green, of all colors. How appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day!

Homemade Shamrock Shakes

3 cups vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
5 drops green food coloring
whipped cream
green sprinkles, for garnish

Combine ice cream, 1 1/4 cups milk, mint extract and green food coloring in a blender and blend until combined. Add remaining 1/4 cup of milk if the shake is too thick. Use more green food coloring to get desired color.

Top with whipped cream and green sprinkles before serving.

Source: slightly adapted from Fake Ginger

Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

|
By
|
7 comments

Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Caramel. Apples. Cheesecake. That’s pretty much a trifecta of awesomeness, wouldn’t you say? These bars are also awesome because they’re so darned easy to make! A classic graham cracker crust, a simple cheesecake batter, and a can of apple pie filling are the base for this dessert. Then it’s topped with a luxurious caramel sauce and topped with flecks of sea salt.

Which let me just say that the salt really made it. I used fleur-de-sel…the creme de la creme of sea salt. It’s best when used as a finishing touch, and it really was perfect here. But any finely milled sea salt would be just fine. The slight salty crunch on top of the bars was absolutely delicious! I also used my homemade caramel sauce that I always have tucked in the fridge. If you’ve never made it, or been intimidated by making caramel – don’t be! I used to be that way, but after seeing how easy it is and how delicious the results are – you’ll kick yourself for not trying it sooner. And, the sauce is much less temperamental than the soft candies that you eat, so it’s a great place to start!

The husband still talks about these bars, so I know I’ll have to be making them again soon. I was so happy with how they turned out and how beautiful they looked – how the apples are suspended perfectly in the cheesecake? I was worried they’d sink – but they didn’t. I used Lucky Leaf pie filling, which is always my go-to choice when using a pie filling – just because I know it’s always high quality ingredients. The apple filling wasn’t too wet, which I think really helped to get the consistency that made these bars turn out so perfect!

What are you guys up to this weekend? After two more snow days earlier this week, I’m ready for some warmer weather. We’re looking forward to a trip to the Ocean City to check out the Spring Trade Expo put on by the Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association – aka “the food show”. It’s a  chance to sample all kinds of different goodies. I know Jon is looking forward to checking out some of the new breweries in the region, and sampling their products. I think some Thrasher;s and lunch at The Shark are also going to have to be on the menu. Should be a good time! I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

6 Tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1 package)
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the filling:
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
3/4 cup caramel sauce
2 tsp sea salt

Heat oven to 350 F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs,sugar, and cinnamon until crumbly. Using the bottom of a drinking glass, press evenly and firmly into the bottom of the baking pan.

In large bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and salt. Beat at medium high speed, until mixture is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully fold the apple pie filling into the cheesecake mixture. Spoon mixture evenly on top of crust.

Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until filling is set. Let cool completely.

Once cooled slice the cheesecake into 2-inch squares. Drizzle caramel sauce on top of cheesecake pieces and sprinkle with a little sea salt.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes about 16 bars.

Source: adapted from Lucky Leaf

Paczki

|
By
|
8 comments

Paczki

For me, Heaven on Earth is frying a ball of dough and then stuffing it with pastry cream. So I naturally fell in love with these traditional Polish doughnuts when I came across them on Nikki’s site a couple of years ago. They’re often made around Lent, to use up all the rich things hanging around the house – stuff like butter or lard, sugar, and eggs.

I wanted to make them for Fat Tuesday last year, but never got around to it. This year I did, and I know that it will be a tradition from here on out in our house. The dough is tender, yet denser than a traditional doughnut. A bit of vodka is added to the dough, which evaporates during cooking, but prevents too much oil from being absorbed into the dough during frying. They’re then filled with a rich pastry cream or fruit filling, and dusted with a bit of powdered sugar before serving.

They’re best eaten the day that they’re made, so don’t dilly-dally in enjoying them. Take some into work to share with your co-workers, or to a Mardi Gras party. Just don’t let them go to waste! This recipe makes about 25 doughnuts, which is plenty to enjoy and plenty to spread the love too. A great weekend project!

Paczki (Polish Doughnuts)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups warm whole milk (110-115F)
5 egg yolks plus one whole egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp vodka
1 tsp salt
6 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil for frying

For the pastry cream:
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, cubed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, stir yeast in the warm milk. Add 2 cups of the flour. Mix and let stand about 1/2 hour, until very bubbly.

Beat the egg yolks and whole egg until light yellow (butter colored) and fluffy.

To the proofed yeast, add the melted butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and vodka. Add beaten eggs and mix until well blended. Switch to the dough hook and slowly add the rest of the flour to the bowl and knead on low speed until a very soft dough forms. You may not use all of the flour.

Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the pastry cream – In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg. Separately mix the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then whisk them into the eggs until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the egg bowl in a thin stream while stirring to temper the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring back to a boil, immediately stirring so the eggs do not curdle or scorch on the bottom.

When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat. The mixture will continue to thicken as you stir. Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely melted. Pour into a heat-proof container and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely chilled before using. You could also skip this step altogether and use your favorite fruit preserves.

When the dough has doubled, uncover and punch down. Pat dough onto a floured work surface, down to 1/2 inch.

Using a cookie cutter, glass, or doughnut cutter, gently cut circles and place on silicone or parchment paper lined baking sheets. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a dutch oven to 350F. Working with 3 to 4 at a time, drop doughnuts into the oil and fry on one side until golden brown. Turn over and fry the other side until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fried doughnuts and drain on paper towels. Let cool completely.

To fill doughnuts, place the pastry cream or fruit preserves in a piping bag with the tip cut off. Cut the paczki in half and pipe filling onto the bottom half of each doughnut. Top with the other half, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. You can also cut a slit in the side of the doughnut and use a round pastry tip to inject the filling inside, then top with powdered sugar.

Source: adapted from Epicurious and All Recipes via Seeded At The Table